Cubs again let down hard-luck starter

Garza gives up only 2 runs but bullpen allows 7 in 8th and 9th of Phillies 9-2 victory

May 16, 2012|By Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune reporter

Matt Garza holds his glove over his face after he was removed in the 7th inning. (Scott Strazzante, Chicago Tribune)

Matt Garza walked off the mound with his glove covering his face Wednesday night, leaving his legion of lip readers guessing once again.

The Cubs' most consistent starter over the last two seasons was removed in the seventh inning of a tie game despite allowing two or fewer runs for the sixth time in his seven starts.

With light-hitting outfielder Juan Pierre at the plate and a man on first with two outs, Garza was pulled in favor of left-hander James Russell, who eventually got out of the inning unscathed.

But the bullpen failed again, giving up seven runs in the final two innings in a 9-2 loss to the Phillies.

"There's no easier way to pop up than after somebody kicks you in the teeth," Garza said. "You're ticked off and you're going to get up and make sure it doesn't happen again. That's the kind of guys we have — guys who aren't going to quit and hide and put their tails between their legs.

"They're going to come back, work their butts off and make sure that crap doesn't happen again. That's what we have, and that's what we need here."

Carlos Ruiz's homer off Shawn Camp put the Phillies ahead in the eighth before Scott Maine and Michael Bowden gave up six in the ninth, including Hector Luna's grand slam off Bowden.

Despite a sterling 2.58 ERA, Garza remained stuck on two victories. He said it was his own fault for getting the hook.

"When you throw 107 pitches before you get (through) the seventh, it's not a tough decision for the skip," he said. "I'm getting my legs back."

Before the game, manager Dale Sveum said "Garza has an edge every time he steps on the mound," pointing to his dominant pitching. But Garza somehow loses that edge every time he has to make a throw to first. He messed up two Pierre bunts Wednesday with unusually weak throws to first base.

Garza was charged with an error on onein the first, but the official scorer gave Pierre an infield hit on a downward throw in the third. Sveum said it's "just something that's going on he has to work on and do something about."

Is it mental thing?

"I'm not a psychologist," Sveum said. "I don't know what it is."

The Cubs do have a team psychologist who has a locker right next to Garza's. But Garza said he's "not too worried" about the throws, saying they were aberrations.

Garza said he had "no time" on the first bunt, joking: "I think he was out of the box before I released the ball." On the second bunt, catcher Geovany Soto told Garza "don't throw" while his arm was in motion, causing the downward throw.

"It slipped and he came out like 'Are you OK'" Garza said. "I said: 'That was freaking hilarious.' …

"It's not a big thing. Just going to keep going, keep getting people out. If teams feel like that's all they're going to do is bunt against me, we're going to have some quick games. I'm not too worried about that. You're going to have to hit a single to score."